Chance
by spicedtea
Summary: Sanada is clueless. Yukimura always gets his way. A hospital fic by Milai Sapphire and yoshikochan.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**Written by**: spicedtea

**Pairing:** SanaYuki

**Rating:** PG

**Disclaimer: **Don't own any of the PoT characters.

* * *

The room was somewhere around here. Fingers pulled down at the brim of a black cap. He knew the room's location without looking at the numbers. His hand clenched around the shoulder strap of his tennis bag. It was a habit, almost routine, these visits. After class, after practice, no matter the hour as long Yukimura was willing to see him. But lately, things seemed different. Yukimura seemed different. His smile wasn't gone, but something was missing. The shuffling of Sanada's feet outside the hospital room door halted at the soft call of his name from within the room. 

"Sanada..." A deceptively fragile voice called out to him. "Why are you standing outside? Is it really that much more comfortable in the hallway?" Sarcasm enveloped the boy's words, as his voice carried through the room accompanied by slight laughter. These moments with Sanada were probably the only things that kept him going. Through their first and second years as regulars, leading up to their roles as captain and vice captain, Sanada had always been by his side. That support, that presence... he'd grown to expect it, to need it, even.

"No. I was just about to come in Yukimura." Every time, it was like this. He didn't like seeing Yukimura chained up to medical equipment like that. Apparently the relapse wasn't so bad, but nevertheless, it gave him an uneasy feeling. If he had a choice, he would gladly shoulder some of the pain that Yukimura was enduring, all the pain that the tennis captain wouldn't show so openly.

"Good. For a moment I was beginning to think that you enjoyed a hallway of strangers rather than my company." The thought amused Yukimura. The way he spoke told Sanada exactly that, but also hinted that he was hurt by the possibility.

Pushing the door open and taking a step into the room, Sanada was greeted by a smile from Yukimura. That expression would fool anyone into thinking that the tennis captain was much too healthy to be sitting in a hospital bed chained to an IV drip. "How are you feeling today?" Sanada grabbed the nearby chair, as he took a seat by the side table and laid his tennis bag on the floor.

His watch chimed the turn of the hour, as Yukimura remained silent, pondering a response.

Yukimura carefully tracked his visitor with his eyes, wondering how honestly he should answer. He didn't want to worry his vice captain, though in reality, he felt terrible. Even more than that, he didn't want to show how weak he'd grown and admit to any weaknesses.

He already lied to his other teammates, his classmates and even his family at times, saying he was fine when they called, even as the nurse connected him to the IV since he'd eaten too little. And this one youth, Sanada, whom he trusted more than anyone else... he wanted to be honest to at least one person...

"Honestly, I feel like shit. But better than yesterday," he admitted straight out. He knew that Sanada would second guess any response if he didn't have him straight in the eye and tell him. The drained color of his skin probably gave away his condition anyways. At least he hadn't thrown up at all today, and they'd cut back one of his medications. He didn't even know what they were giving him; the mix of pills he took every four hours were all different shapes.

His mouth felt dry again, so he sipped at the glass of water on the bedside table. Sanada kindly took the glass from his hand, and he smiled in gratitude before leaning back into the pillow.

The color was coming back to the patient's face, but still he was far from fine. Unable to keep his gaze fixed on Yukimura's eyes, he shifted in his seat, touching the brim of his cap and removing it from his head. The silence always enveloped the air around them like this. Each meeting started with this lack of words, as if Yukimura were waiting for something. Sanada opened his mouth to speak, but could only fill his lungs with the filtered air of the room. Even then, it was still stifling, but the other was living through it much longer than he was.

"Everyone's worried about you. They really want to come to see you before the surgery." Sanada took a quick glance over at Yukimura, folding his cap in his hands. "You really don't want them to visit you before then, Yukimura?"

The lithe figure paused for a moment, before admitting,"It would be nice to see everyone." But Yukimura didn't want them to see how weak he was. How pathetic their once respectable captain had become.

He drew his hand towards Sanada's, and firmly gripped his vice captain's wrist. He looked firmly into dark, serious eyes as he spoke.

"Take care of them. Train them hard." We must not lose. There were always demands left unspoken. But they were the same demands Yukimura had made for the past two years; Sanada would understand.

He always did. Yukimura's gaze remained fixed on his adjunct, hoping that somewhere in those pools of darkness Sanada would understand his intentions. The small nod and slow curl of the edge of his lips indicated so.

Sanada couldn't move his wrist from Yukimura's grasp, nor could he divert his gaze. His pulse quickened at the closeness, the other's unwavering dependence on him. He couldn't understand what made this time different from all the other times. The way he spoke was as if Yukimura had no intention of making a come back, at least not before the end of the season. However, he knew his captain better than anyone else. He knew he was stronger than that.

"I will. You should just focus on recovering for now. I'm sure the team would like to have you back as soon as possible." Sanada felt the same of course. He let Yukimura's hand rest on his own for a bit longer before trying to slip his fingers away from delicate but tennis calloused hands.

Yukimura wasn't sure what impulse caused him to need physical contact with his vice captain, but he was never one to hesitate when acting on instinct. Right now, he needed something to hold onto, and there was only one thing, no, one person he could hold onto now. The only one that had his full trust. So, he didn't bother to let his quickly stiffening companion go. He clung tightly to Sanada's wrist, damned if the other was uncomfortable.

"I'll be back by nationals." His voice was firm, more confident than he felt on the inside, but only as much as he was determined to be.

"Then, everyone will look forward to that moment, Yukimura-buchou. Everyone will be much stronger by then, surely." Sanada gave his captain a half smile, unsure of the possible outcome of the surgery but still hopeful.He pulled at the hand that still grasped his wrist. He had already gotten the impression that Yukimura didn't want to let go, and didn't want him to go anywhere for now. As he turned his gaze down to Yukimura's fingers, his own hand turned and softly brushed against the other's pale skin.

"Of course they will." It was a command, not an assurance. The team would improve, or suffer the consequences.

And until Yukimura returned, Sanada was the one responsible for that. But... the palsied captain couldn't subdue his frustration, at not being able to be there with them, with Sanada.

He couldn't bring himself to let go. Not of Sanada's wrist, nor his feelings...

"Yukimura Seiichi-kun?" A mature female voice called from the open doorway, stepping inside towards the table on the other side of Sanada. From below, Sanada could see her shadow smiling to herself as she glanced at their joined hands. "Here's your medicine. I'll be back in a couple hours."

Sanada shifted his hand in Yukimura's own, and watched carefully as the nurse softly closed the door behind her. "You should take it." He glanced over at the collection of pills, various colors, mostly white in a clear container.

Yukimura stared at the pills as if they'd bite him. He'd already slipped some under his pillow in the past, and even managed to flush a few down the toilet, but usually the nurse or his parents supervised to make sure he took them.

His parents said they'd leave everything to the doctors, and claimed that Yukimura was old enough to handle everything on his own. They said they wanted him to be independent. Like always. Like he wasn't sick, but rather choosing which school he wanted to attend and what clubs to be in. They hardly visited, and when they did, they mostly just told Seichii to listen to the nurses and do what the doctor ordered.

Yukimura wasn't stupid. He knew the saying, out of sight, out of mind, and his parents did a fine job of managing both when it came to him.

He didn't say anything, but instead tightened his grip on Sanada's wrist. He never broke his genial visage, but inside he was pleading: Don't make me take them.

Sanada closed his eyes for a brief second, before reaching over to the table and taking the cup in his hands. He exhaled a small sigh before glancing down into his hands. There were at least five different medications in there, maybe more. The look in Yukimura's eyes and his actions gave away his refusal. But even he couldn't give in to that gaze so easily. He wanted Yukimura back with him, on the tennis courts. They had gotten this far together, so he wouldn't let it end now over a container of tablets.

"...Nationals right?" It almost felt underhanded using Nationals as the motivating factor, but it was the truth. Gritting his teeth, Sanada firmly pulled his hand from Yukimura's vice and held out the cup of pills. He knew that this time, he couldn't give into Yukimura's whims, since this was for his friend's own good. "We promised that we would take the team to Nationals together..."

The reminder came softly, and Sanada quickly hid beneath his cap, realizing he'd pushed Yukimura to the edge. The anguish aglow in the pair of indigo eyes was enough to give him second thoughts, but then the captain uncurled his hand, allowing them to slip apart.

Yukimura slowly retreated back into his pillow, burying his face in the coarse fabric. "Just give me a second," he murmured, his voice muffled but steady. "It's a lot to take at once."

The truth was, he wanted to hide beneath his sheets, but such weakness was unacceptable. Instead, he counted to ten inside his head, before sitting back up. Taking the glass of water into his hands, he sipped a little, wetting his mouth and lips, before popping half of the pills into his mouth and drowning them down. A moment later he finished the rest of them. The thick feeling of rocks sliding down his throat made him want to choke.

The cup that he held was empty as Sanada reached out to remove the container from Yukimura's hands. Placing the emptied glass and medicine cup on the table, Sanada glanced down at his watch. Outside it was getting darker and the sun's warmth had already dissipated from the room. Twisting his wristband around, Sanada removed the empty cup from Yukimura's hands and placed it along with the medicine cup on the table. Glancing down at his watch, he asked, "Do you know what time your surgery will be?"

Yukimura shook his head. "The doctor will visit me tomorrow morning to schedule it."

Sanada nodded affirmatively, "Tomorrow, you'll let me know when the day it is then?" He looked up at the other's figure, reaching into his pocket. "I don't think you'll really need this, but here..." In Sanada's outstretched hand a red charm rested, small gold threads intertwined within the rectangular shaped bag. At the top, a tie held it closed. "You'll be fine." he whispered, more for his own reassurance than anything else, as he let the charm fall into Yukimura's hands.

Picking up the tennis bag at his feet, Sanada took a last look at his watch. "I should let you get some rest, Yukimura. I have to start heading back home before it gets too late anyway." He stood up from his chair, his body hovering over the other boy as he glanced down at Yukimura's smile.

"Mm, you should rest as well. Training at 6 tomorrow." That gentle expression remained steady, but a mixture of warmth and sadness twinkled in the youth's bright eyes. Yukimura tucked the temple ornament between his palms, squeezing it slightly the same way he wished to squeeze Sanada's hand in parting. But he didn't dare.

"Yes. 6 AM..." Sanada passed his hand along the edges of the bed sheets, before turning and heading towards the door.. "Take care. Good night." Reaching out his hand on the door handle, Sanada quickly glanced at Yukimura before shutting the door behind him and exiting the building towards home.

Feel amused for no reason, Yukimura watched his vice captain trail stiffly away. His smile faded just as the door clicked shut, a sigh escaping his lips.

It was going to be another long, boring night.

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**Author's Note:**

yoshikochan: Yay! Finally post chapter one!

Mama-muse: Too slow.

yoshikochan: -sadface-

Dada-muse: -agrees-

Hehe, so much for trying to get it out in time for Dada's birthday XD

Milai Sapphire desu! Hehe, hope you enjoyed the first chapter of our joint fic, spicedtea's first successful joint fic. XD Umm, tune in for more chapters? And read lots, review, constructive criticism very much welcome

Also, if anyone is willing to beta this fic, we're looking for a beta since our next chapters need editing D


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Written by: spicedtea**

**Pairing: SanaYuki**

**Rating: PG**

**Disclaimer: Don't own any of the PoT characters. **

* * *

When Sanada returned to the hospital that evening after practice, he noticed a few nurses bustling in and out of Yukimura's room. Normally only one checked in every hour or so. His heart fluttered with anxiety as he wondered if something happened to Yukimura.

His step picked up along with the pace of his heart. "Nurse," he tapped the shoulder of one of the nurses coming out with a tray, "what happened?"

"Oh, hello," the older lady's face wrinked into a smile as she turned to him. He recognized her as the nurse who usually attended to Yukimura. "Ah, it's you. Thank you for always visiting. We had a little incident earlier; we just finished cleaning up." She patted him on the shoulder, as if he were a child despite being much taller than her. "You have a very strong-willed little brother."

Before he could say anything, she'd already tottered away, quite quickly despite her age.

_Little brother?_ Sanada shook his head at the thought. At the moment, there were a few more important things on his mind than clearing up their misunderstanding: tennis practices, the upcoming finals, and of course, the aforementioned 'incident'. His heart only beat faster, expecting some sort of bad news. Yukimura's will was strong, much stronger than his own. If he found himself in this same situation, he couldn't keep up the same cheerful façade everyday. Not when…

Sanada cautiously but hastily stepped inside the room, noticing Yukimura sitting on the bed. This time, he wasn't waiting with a smile on his face. His head rested on his knees, while his arms pulled his legs closer to his chest. His body trembled heavy and uneven echoing in the quiet room where only the two of them remained. The floor was wet, making Sanada's shoes squeaked on the slippery surface with each step. Slowly he approached the short haired boy, whose dark hair glittered under the incoming streams of light.

Rikkaidai's captain recognized those familiar, confident steps well before Sanada's voice gave him away. The same, gentle smile stretched perfectly on invalid's lips.

"Yukimura..." He walked up to the other figure, reaching towards the hair shadowing his face. In a moment's hesitation, Sanada pulled away not giving into the desire. As his hand lingered in mid air, he could hear Yukimura's deep breaths, as the mass of blue hair turned upwards their eyes locking.

"Did something happen?"

The blue haired youth shook his head repositioning himself onto the edge of the bed, while maintaining his usually calm expression. "I broke the IV bag and threw half a dozen pills across the room, so they were just cleaning that up. They promised to bring me dinner, though, and they haven't yet." He sounded a little annoyed, yet he could have been talking about the weather with such a nonchalant tone.

"Why would you do that?" Sanada had been around Yukimura long enough to know there was more to the story than he was being told.

The pair of azure eyes looked toward the wall avoiding Sanada's gaze, though his smile broadened slightly. "There wasn't any point in me taking them. They won't cure me. And they make me feel sick."

_And if I have barely over a week to live, I want to spend it as best I can..._ he added quietly in his head. The doctor had come to speak to him that morning to schedule the surgery, and he'd learned the details of the procedure as well. Sixty-percent chance of success... which meant one in three patients died, or worse, ended up paralyzed ._.. I'd rather be dead than paralyzed._

His lips twitched into a reassuring smirk, "They insisted I take them, and I insisted I won't. That's all."

"But…" Sanada spoke before he could think about the consequences of questioning Yukimura's decision. Taking a second to collect his thoughts, he held his tongue. "They won't cure you, but at least help slow the progress of the disease."

He didn't like forcing his opinions on Yukimura like this, but it was necessary. The doctors had mentioned that while the tablets wouldn't cure him, they were supposed to help suppress the muscle fatigue and other symptoms. Maybe he was being selfish wanting Yukimura to follow the doctor's instructions, when he knew the captain didn't want to. But surely in the long run it'd be for the best. Passing the seat and relieving his shoulder of the weight of his bag, Sanada walked towards the window, looking at the garden area below.

"Everyone wants you to get better Yukimura and come back to the team." He opened the window, allow a bit of air blow in from outside, "You will come back because you're stronger than this…" he clenched his hand into a fist along the wall by the window, "unless you have no intention of returning."

Yukimura sat stone-faced as Sanada spoke. The tension in his facial muscles that he normally reserved for team practice swelled in full force. Why did he have to hear this from Sanada as well? He didn't need this, just like he didn't need the medicines.

"That's why- ..." he paused at the sound of his own cold, hard voice. He'd been angry all day, and while that'd cooled when his favorite visitor appeared, his vexation was rapidly resurfacing. "That's why I'm having this surgery. This surgery..."

He could have had smaller, less dangerous procedures... ones that would happen over a series of months. But this one, if it was successful...

"...I'll be able to recover quickly, and return before Nationals. The Kantou finals are in two days. Worry about yourself," he snapped, almost adding that Sanada should leave, but that wasn't what he truly wanted.

Sanada turned away from the window, walking back over to Yukimura's side yet keeping his distance. Worry about himself? He couldn't just worry about himself, not when Yukimura was still battling this sickness. He had stepped in sensitive waters where Yukimura and his health were concerned, as that last remark clearly showed his displeasure. "In that case, don't worry about the team and the Kantou finals. We'll definitely win."

In an attempt to divert the attention to a different topic, Sanada cleared his throat before resuming his speech. The last thing he wanted to do was create another scene similar to the events that ended upon his arrival. "You said you hadn't eaten dinner yet. We can eat at the cafeteria downstairs..."

"I'll go with you." Yukimura stood and adjusted his pajamas, then starting straightening the bed sheets.

Behind, a pair of eyes blinked in surprise at the sudden movement. "Can you leave the hospital room?" His first impulse was to take a step closer to Yukimura, and outstretch a hand to support him; however, as the other turned to face him standing on two feet busying himself with his sheets, he realized that maybe it wasn't necessary.

"They told me I can't, but that doesn't matter," came the sour response. "I'm not going to collapse in the ten minutes it takes for us to go and come back. And if I do, you'll be there to catch me."

He couldn't respond to that comment, but he knew that if that did happen, he would undoubtedly support him. Gesturing that Yukimura should walk ahead of him, he reached an arm out around Yukimura's shoulder, "But still..." Firmly fixing his arm around the other, he brought Yukimura close to his side. "...your steps are shaky."

Despite his initial instinct to protest, Yukimura found himself leaning heavily against the taller youth. He really was too tired to complain. "I haven't been up for a while, that's all."

He had been close to the dark haired captain before, but in a way, this moment felt calm regardless of the fact that his heart was beating a bit faster than normal. The two of them made their way slowly and cautiously to the elevator, lucky that most of the nurses missed the light teal pajamas against a tall figure with a black cap. The elevator arrived on time, as the both of them escaped inside, pressing the button to the ground floor.

"By the way, I have the match-ups for the Kantou finals for you to review." Sanada let go of Yukimura's shoulder for a brief second to remove a neatly folded up piece of paper from his pocket. "Doubles are set, as always. It's just the singles matches."

Yukimura nodded numbly, and shifted his eyes to scan over the notes. He didn't think he'd be this tired, just getting up from bed after being confined to that small room for so long. He was glad he'd ripped the IV now, even though it made a mess. So long as he felt well enough to eat, he didn't need it, and it was hard to walk around with.

"Who won last time between Kirihara and Yanagi?" It irked him that he didn't know, but he kept his voice neutral.

Sanada's eyes looked over at Yukimura. He seemed more tired than usual, as it showed quite clearly in his face. Removing his gaze from his captain, he redirected his attention to the highlighted and decreasing floor numbers. "Yanagi won. 6-4. It was close for a while, but most likely Yanagi was testing out Kirihara's current level. Akaya still has some work to do on his technique before finals." Sanada crossed his arms over his chest, standing closer as more people entered the halted elevator.

As more people crowded in, Sanada placed his arm protectively around Yukimura, continuing his discussion, "Without a doubt, now that Tezuka's not there, Fuji Syuusuke and their freshman will be in singles, most likely Singles 1 and 2 in no particular order. Yanagi suggested taking Singles 3, since he's confident that he will be against Seigaku's data specialist." The elevator arrived at its destination, opening as the flood of people headed towards the exit.

"Hmm, so Yanagi made that sort of request..." A small smile graced over Yukimura's lips as he recalled the rivalry Yanagi had once spoken of. Old doubles partners, now on opposing times - but Inui Sadaharu's Seigaku team had never come this far. How interesting. More than ever, Yukimura wanted to attend, even if only to watch. "Oblige him. Kirihara will play singles 2. Most likely against Seigaku's freshman, though Fuji Syuusuke may be pushed to singles 2... the Fuji I remember watching in the past has motivational issues."

The smile on Yukimura's face could only bring one to his own. A large difference from the somber mood they were wrapped up in earlier with talk of his medication and general well being. In their worlds, only tennis could make the uneasiness of the reality disappear even if only for a short moment. Placing a hand on Yukimura's back, he gently ushered the other out of the elevator in the direction of the cafeteria.

"Very well then, I'll take the singles 1 position. At least I'll have an idea of who my opponent is by then and should be able to play my game accordingly. With Fuji as a possibility for singles 2, there's no telling how that match up will end up. Kirihara knows his position, and very well understands the importance of winning if it comes to that. If there is a singles 1 match, however, I'll end it with a win." Sanada's eyes lit with determination, making a silent promise to win this tournament and bring victory to the team, and most importantly to Yukimura. Since he couldn't be there playing with everyone, the least he could do was bring back the evidence of their hard work. "Speaking of the tournament, when is your surgery scheduled to take place? Not the same day as the tournament right?"

For the first time in a while, Yukimura felt relief talking and thinking only about tennis, if only for a brief moment. But Sanada's inquiry brought him back to reality. "Oh... no, it's exactly one week after." He smiled reassuringly at his vice captain, though inside, he felt the same fiery anger boil briefly as it had all day. "You'll all be training hard for Nationals by then. As victors."

"And soon after, you'll join us after your recovery." Sanada stated. It was a fact before it even happened, because it couldn't be any other way. He wouldn't allow himself to think of any other outcome. Yukimura would make it out of the surgery and return to the tennis court without fail, just as they would win their finals tournament.

They entered through the large doors, finding the cafeteria was still pretty empty for the hour at evening. "Did you want to sit by the window?" Yukimura gave a small nod in response to his request, allowing Sanada to lead him to the empty table where sunlight still flooded the area on the other side of the cafeteria. "I'll pick up something for you at the counter."

An amused smile spread on Yukimura's lips as Sanada dotingly helped him around. He never knew how caring the taller youth could be, like a mother doting on her flu-ridden child. No wonder why he had become so dependent on him since his sickness, because he was the only one there for him constantly supporting him. It was more care, anyways, than his parents had given him in the last two months.

"I'll have a salad," he called. Although if asked, Sanada would probably even make home made chicken broth for him, he mused.

"A salad, then. I'll be back in a few." Sanada took a glance back at the figure, who gave him a quick smile. At that moment, he couldn't take his eyes off of Yukimura; he looked different, much like the first time when the two of them met in their first year of school. It was a look that made his heart beat a little faster. He knew how important the other person was to him, as important as tennis was to his life. Without Yukimura, there would probably be no tennis for him.

Yukimura waited patiently for Sanada to return. He felt a little uncomfortable left alone to his own thoughts, which were dangerous lately...

That morning, the doctor appeared and spoke to him about the surgery. He'd been shocked, to say the least, when told of the low success rate. There was an alternative, though; a less risky, minor surgery, followed by a series of surgeries and long hospital stays. Yukimura cringed at the thought of staying here a day longer than he had to, but the success rate was nearly ninety percent for those. The nurse encouraged him to take the second option, since his life was on the line... but his parents, who were on speaker phone, announced he'd be taking the first one. They wanted all of this done with, they claimed, which was another way of saying they didn't want to pay the extra hospital bills.

In the end, Yukimura didn't even get a choice.

He wanted to get better as quickly as possible, that was true, and to make it back in time for Nationals as he'd promised._But I can't play tennis if I'm dead..._ Shuddering, the lithe youth couldn't even imagine what it really meant... to die. He'd spent a few hours after the visit, contemplating it, and decided that at the very least, he wanted to spend the next week healthy. No more queasiness, no more vomiting from the medications. He wanted to eat food, real food, rather than just off the IV, which was more in place for emergencies, anyways.

His parents called after his 'temper tantrum', as they called it, and demanded he take his medications. He promised he would, and then proceeded to pull so tightly on the IV chord he ripped the bag. The nurses left him alone, after that. Caught up in his reminiscing, he didn't notice when Sanada set the place of greens in front of him.

Sanada placed a hand on Yukimura's shoulder, taking a seat next to him. The captain looked down at Yukimura's troubled face, unable to imagine what was going through his mind at that moment. With the impending surgery, and today's small rebellion before his arrival, he was sure there was a lot for him to think about. But the increasingly painful look that crossed his soft features with each passing second made him feel for the other.

Taking a seat next to him, he spoke first bringing Yukimura out of his deep thoughts. "Are you feeling okay? Did you want to go back to your room?" His words laden with concern, he watched as Yukimura poked at the salad before him.

Shaking his head, Yukimura popped a cherry tomato in his mouth to show he was just fine. He didn't want to worry Sanada any more than he already had, so he smiled amiably and slowly consumed more greens. He just wanted to enjoy the last bit of his time with the person at his side. Already he'd stolen so much of the vice captain's time.

--end chapter 2--

* * *

Sana-dada: Happy birthday Yuki-

Yuki-mama: -SLAP- It was two days ago.

Authors: But we're releasing this chapter as a happy birthday present to you-

Yuki-mama: -SLAP- It was two days ago.

Authos: D: -red cheeks-

Sorry for the late posting. We tried. -sigh-


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